Battle for Cassada Gardens Race Track to climax in August

The court battle between local businessman, Carlton “Tyre Master” Lewis and the Antigua Turf Club over which of the two holds a bona fide lease for lands housing the Cassada Gardens Race Track has ended.
However, the decision is expected to be communicated to both parties within a couple of months.
This is according to President of the Antigua Turf Club (ATC), Neil Cochrane, who continues to express confidence in the case put forward by their legal team.
“As I understand it, it will be at the end of the assizes so I believe that perhaps some time in August but until then we continue to utilize the race track. All I can tell you is that we were satisfied with the representation made on our behalf by our legal team and we j await the judges’ decision,” he said.
Lewis has argued that he holds a lease on the property while the Antigua Turf Club has challenged his claims while also claiming that they too, had been given the right to utilize the facility.
The case, which had been pending for a number of years, began in the courts last week.
Meanwhile, racing returns to the track at the end of July with the Carnival Race Meet carded for the 30th. Cochrane is hoping to build on the momentum gathered during the staging of the Antigua Triple Crown Series.
“As opposed to going to the last Sunday [of the Carnival festivities], which is when you would have the calypso competition, we are going to go on the first Sunday and that’s the 30th of July. We believe it gives us an opportunity to put our product out there to our visitors be it returning nationals or otherwise,” the turf boss said.
“I would say that with the buzz of energy that we have right now in Antigua where horse racing is concerned, the 30th would be an excellent day to put on another great show for the people.”
The Cassada Gardens Race Track is the country’s lone horse racing facility.